GUILTY OF BIGAMY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20743, 14 June 1929, Page 10

GUILTY OF BIGAMY.

PETTY OFFICER'S OFFENCE. PASSING OF SENTENCE DEFERRED. (Special to Daily Tijies.) AUCKLAND, June 13. “ The young woman -with whom he went through the form of marriage has entirely forgiven him,” said Mr M’ Liver, appealing to Mr Justice Kennedy in the Supreme Court to-day on behaif of Wilfred Minty, a petty officer of H.M.S. veronica, who appeared for sentence on a charge of bigamy. Minty had a wife and family in England and took an Auckland girl as his second wife. The case presented difficulties from two aspects, remarked counsel. Minty had been in New Zealand waters for some years, but during his absence allotments had regularly been despatched to his wife and family. The only excuse for his action, counsel claimed, was that the prisoner had committed the crime in a moment of mental aberration.

Appealing to his Honor not to impose a term of imprisonment, Mr M'Liver said that if this was done Minty would he court-martialled on his release and would lose the -privileges which lie was due to receive on completion of 22 years’ service, oyer 19 years of which he had served. His wife and children would also' lose the allotment if Minty was sent to gaol. His character had been excellent until this slip.

The Crown Prosecutor (Mr Meredith) said that he had been informed by one of the officers that no further action was contemplated by the ship’s commander. He was unaware whether a court-martiai would be held if Minty was imprisoned, and he undertook to inquire of the naval authorities as to the procedure. Sentence was accordingly deferred until to-morrow.